1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation console displaying information to a user and allowing the user to operate based on the information. More specifically, the present invention relates to an operation console displaying pieces of information on a plurality of divided areas that allows, even when an operational mode of an electronic device or an image processing apparatus provided with the operation console is changed and screen image thereof is changed accordingly, the user to accurately grasp information related to process requests displayed in each operational mode. The present invention also relates to the electronic device and the image processing apparatus provided with the operation console, as well as to a method of displaying information on the operation console.
2. Description of the Background Art
As one type of image processing apparatuses as electronic equipment, image forming apparatuses forming images on recording paper (typically, copy machines) are introduced to many places of business (companies and offices). In such a place of business, it has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use (sharing) by a plurality of users. A multifunction peripheral (MFP) as one type of such image forming apparatuses has a plurality of basic operational modes such as a copy mode, a facsimile mode (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer mode and a scanner mode. In such an image forming apparatus, each user selects an operational mode and selects and makes settings of a function of duplex (two-sided) printing or collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), whereby images are formed on sheets of paper in a desired manner. Appropriate combinations of these functions come to be more frequently used.
When a user uses such an image forming apparatus, for example, the user inputs image data in the scanner mode, performs image processing (such as collection) by inputting various instructions through an operation panel, and prints the results on a sheet of recording paper. In such a situation, the operation panel, serving as an operation and display unit, functions as an interface between the image forming apparatus and the user. Generally, on the operation panel, a screen image for setting functions in each operational mode is displayed, so that the user can easily set various functions. Further, while a job is being executed, job progress status may be displayed, to allow the user to easily grasp the progress status of the job. In the printer mode executed upon reception of data from an external device, the job progress status may be displayed in accordance with the data received from the external device as a source.
Recently, a touch-panel display having a touch-panel formed on a liquid crystal panel (display panel) comes to be increasingly used as such an operation panel. By way of example, items (software buttons) allowing selection of a mode of the image forming apparatus are displayed on the touch-panel display, the user viewing the display presses a position of an item displayed on the touch-panel display (presses a software button), and the operational mode is set.
Such a touch-panel display having both the display and operation functions is advantageous in that it eliminates the necessity of providing a display unit and an operation unit separately. Further, it attracts attention recently since a command can be selected advantageously in accordance with the user's sense, when it is adapted such that a command can be selected in accordance with a trajectory of pressing of the touch-panel display by the user's finger. Examples of such command selection using finger trajectory include the following.
When a plurality of pages are displayed on the touch-panel display as print previews, the following operations may be performed. By a user operation of lightly tapping twice (hereinafter also referred to as double-tapping) a position of a certain page displayed as a preview, a command to display the page in an enlarged or reduced size can be selected. By a user operation trajectory of expanding a space between two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-out or pinch-open), a command to display the page in an enlarged size can be selected, and by a user operation trajectory of reducing a space between the two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-in or pinch-close), a command to display the page in a reduced size can be selected. In the following, these operations are denoted as gesture operations. The gesture operations are not limited to the above, and may include: tapping, or lightly touching an item displayed on the touch-panel display; dragging, or sliding an item with a finger; flicking, or lightly sweeping an item to scroll; and pinching with two fingers. It is noted that, strictly speaking, the tapping and double-tapping are not determined by the user operation trajectory on the touch-panel display (determined not by the trajectory but by detection of a position). The user's request, however, can also be detected by these operations and, therefore, these are also included in the gesture operations in the present specification.
Further, in the present specification, an operation other than the gesture operations as such will be described as a touch operation. The touch operation means an operation of detecting a user's request based on the position of operation by the user on the touch-panel. A representative example of the touch operation is an operation of the user pressing a position of an item (pressing a software button) displayed on the touch-panel display.
In an MFP provided with a touch-panel display allowing both touch operation and gesture operation, many pieces of information intended for the user are displayed on the touch-panel display. Such an MFP has a plurality of basic operational modes as described above, and the user selects an operational mode of the MFP. After selecting an operational mode, the user inputs various settings for the operational mode, and thereafter, inputs an image formation request. Such selection and input by the user are made by pressing software buttons displayed on the touch-panel display.
By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-177526 (hereinafter referred to as '526 Reference) discloses an image processing apparatus that can improve convenience of operation. The image processing apparatus executes any one of facsimile, copy and scanner jobs. The image processing apparatus is provided with a mode selection key, a touch-panel, a first start key and a second start key. The mode selection key is for selecting an easy-operation mode, allowing execution of a job by an easy operation. When the easy-operation mode is selected by the mode selection key, an operation screen image used for an operation in the easy-operation mode is displayed on the touch-panel. The first start key is a hardware button provided outside of the touch-panel, for instructing execution of a job. The second start key is a software button provided on the operation screen image, for instructing execution of a job in the easy-operation mode.
In the image processing apparatus, separate from the first start key implemented by a hardware button, the second start key is provided as a software button on the operation screen image of the easy-operation mode, serving as a start key in that mode. Thus, convenience of operation in the easy-operation mode can be improved.
As disclosed in '526 Reference above, in various electronic devices including the image processing apparatus, a touch-panel display is provided as an operation console. Various pieces of information are displayed on the touch-panel display. One example of the displayed information is the second start key disclosed in '526 Reference. FIGS. 3 to 6 of '526 Reference show the touch-panel display on which the second start key is displayed.
In these figures, however, the second start key (software button) is displayed at different positions. Therefore, unless the user remembers the position of the start key in each operational mode, it is necessary for the user to find the start key arranged at different positions in different operational modes and to input a process request. This leads to a problem that the user is confused, makes erroneous operation and takes longer time for operation.